Kael'thas laughed, "There's no need to wait here. Captain Drake can lead the fleet further north and land on the west bank near Icewind Pass."
Daelin, who was very familiar with the geography of the Lordaeron subcontinent, immediately understood Kael'thas's objective: "You want Drake to intercept the fleeing Alterac army near Icewind Pass?"
Once the coalition army broke through the palace and captured the king, the Alterac army, seeing the unfavorable situation, would definitely flee down the mountain.
There were two paths down the mountain.
One to the south, leading to Tarren Mill in Hillsbrad Foothills.
One to the east, passing through Icewind Pass to Andorhal and Lake Darrowmere.
Tarren Mill was one of the Barov family's four major fiefdoms, and like Durnholde Keep, it was now occupied by the Horde.
Andorhal had been reclaimed by the Lordaeron army, but Lake Darrowmere was still controlled by the Horde and the Barov family.
If the defeated Alterac Kingdom soldiers escaped to these two locations and joined forces, it would cause a lot of trouble.
Tarren Mill was on the way to the Alterac Kingdom, so it could be occupied along the way, leaving a portion of troops to intercept the enemy.
If an ambush was also set up at the mountain pass near Icewind Pass, the nearly ten thousand Alterac troops could be completely annihilated.
In that case, whether attacking Lake Darrowmere or annihilating the main Horde army, it would be much easier.
Kael'thas laughed, "Not just the army, but also the nobles."
Daelin's eyes immediately lit up: "That's right, and the nobles!"
When nobles fled, they would certainly try to carry expensive items. If they were captured, a large amount of wealth could be obtained.
Moreover, all nobles had strong connections and intricate ties with the mid-to-high levels of various Alliance kingdoms, which could influence high-level decisions to some extent, especially the decisions regarding the post-war reckoning of the Alterac Kingdom.
If those nobles could be controlled, more benefits could be gained in the post-war reckoning, such as their fiefdoms!
"Good, we'll do as you say!" Daelin decided.
In the evening, the coalition army captured Tarren Mill.
The army rested in place, while the high-ranking officers gathered for a meeting to discuss the specific plan.
"Durnholde Keep and Tarren Mill have both been captured by us, and the Kul Tiras fleet has sailed north. This cannot be hidden from the Horde and Alterac Kingdom scouts, and the news will soon reach the mountain. It won't be long before the enemy is on guard."
Kael'thas said, "No more waiting. We will go up the mountain tonight. We must capture the palace and King Aiden Perenolde alive tonight."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Kael'thas said, "According to the original plan, I will personally lead three hundred Dragonhawk Riders, and the Highlord's three hundred Gryphon Riders will go up the mountain first. After capturing the palace, we will open the gates. No problem, Highlord?"
Kurdran said, "There is a problem. I've never been to the Alterac Kingdom and don't know the way. Do you?"
Kael'thas shook his head.
He used to only be interested in magic, and among the Seven Human Kingdoms, he had only been to Dalaran. He didn't even know what the Alterac Kingdom looked like.
Everyone else was the same.
Although Danath Trollbane had been to the Alterac Kingdom, he was young and hadn't been there many times. Moreover, he was a child the last time he visited, so he had no impression.
Daelin placed his hands on the table and said in a deep voice, "I will go up the mountain with you. I am familiar with the Alterac Kingdom."
As a national leader, he often participated in diplomatic activities and had visited many times.
Kurdran shouted, "Then there's no problem! When do we leave? I want to be the first to fly to Alterac Palace!"
"Don't rush, Highlord. The first to ascend is yours, and slaying generals and capturing banners is also yours. No one will contend with you."
Kael'thas was all smiles.
He liked warriors like that, who charged forward bravely.
Sylvanas asked, "Your Highness, how many troops should we leave to guard Tarren Mill, blockade Alterac Valley, and ambush the defeated Alterac army?"
Kael'thas said, "We don't know much about Alterac, so we should ask Admiral Daelin about this."
Daelin thought for a moment, then held up two fingers: "Two thousand, two thousand is enough!"
Danath Trollbane volunteered: "Leave it to me!"
Kael'thas said, "Vereesa, you lead a thousand men to stay here and assist General Danath in intercepting the enemy. Sylvanas, go gather the teleporters now, and be ready to open the portal at any time."
The two women acknowledged the order.
Daelin said, "I also have a few teleporters who can help."
At midnight, three hundred Dragonhawk Riders and three hundred Gryphon Riders, under the cover of night, flew over Alterac Palace.
"Enemy attack!"
The soldiers guarding the palace discovered the invaders immediately and shouted at the top of their lungs.
Looking at the black dots in the sky, getting closer and clearer, the soldier's eyes widened, filled with horror.
A lion's body, an eagle's head, much larger than the largest lion king in Hillsbrad Foothills—what kind of monster was that?
He was just an ordinary human, born under the royal banner, raised on Mount Alterac.
While still in his mother's womb, his father, an officer, had paved the way for him.
He received formal warrior skill training from a young age and became a palace guard as soon as he came of age, on duty every day. How could he have time to travel around? The farthest place he had ever been in his life was Tarren Mill down the mountain.
He had only heard of Gryphons in stories told by others, and for a moment, he couldn't react at all.
By the time he recognized them, it was too late.
A Stormhammer weighing dozens or hundreds of kilograms directly smashed his head.
"Wildhammer, attack!"
Kurdran, who had achieved the first ascent and first kill, was in high spirits and blew the horn of attack.
Three hundred Gryphon Riders shouted as they threw their Stormhammers, and one wave of attack wiped out most of the guards outside the palace.
Following that were the arrows of the High Elves.
The darkness of the night could not block the eyes of the Dragonhawk Riders. Arrows pierced into the bodies of the guards, taking their lives.
Six hundred air forces circled in the sky, fiercely attacking any enemy they found, and quickly occupied the square in front of the palace.
A dozen Dragonhawks slowly descended.
"This is good, the place is big enough and open enough."
Kael'thas looked around, very satisfied.
At this moment, the gate of the palace castle opened.
The guards responsible for the gate heard the sounds of fighting and screams, and rushed out to investigate. As soon as they showed their heads, they were killed by a Stormhammer.
"Highlord, Gryphon Riders belong to the sky. The outside is your battlefield. The inside of the palace is for me."
Daelin, clad in armor and holding a sword, leaped down from a Dragonhawk.
He pointed his sword at the palace gate, and the 16 guards behind him immediately charged, entering the gate and killing the guards who were trying to close it.
They were well-equipped, moved swiftly, acted decisively, and their strength and speed far surpassed ordinary soldiers.
They were the Admiral Daelin's 16 Bronze Men, each an elite guard!
The guards inside the palace were loyal and immediately attacked, clashing with the elite guards.
"Your Highness, let's begin," Daelin said.
On the Dragonhawk Riders, Kael'thas opened a portal, and a dozen teleporters emerged one after another, all opening portals. The first to rush through were three thousand soldiers from Kul Tiras.
The High Elf troops followed closely behind.
A total of over six thousand soldiers from the three-race coalition ascended Mount Alterac!
In the sky, three hundred Dragonhawk Riders and three hundred Gryphon Riders circled, eliminating the guards on the city walls and watchtowers.
On the ground, three thousand Kul Tiras soldiers and two thousand seven hundred High Elf soldiers quickly occupied key routes.
In less than half an hour, the vast royal palace was heavily besieged and fell into the hands of the Allied forces.
Running and fighting sounds came from afar, from soldiers in other parts of Alterac City.
However, as soon as they appeared, they were attacked by Dragonhawk Riders and Gryphon Riders, unable to get through!
A large number of soldiers poured into the royal palace, and the sounds of fighting continued for a full twenty minutes before stopping.
A member of the elite guard reported: "Admiral, the entire royal palace has been occupied by our army, and the royal family members are all under our control."
"What about Aiden Perenolde?"
"He's inside!"
Daelin looked at Kael'thas and extended an invitation: "Your Highness, shall we go in together?"
"Alright."
The two entered the royal palace together, walked along the long red carpet, and saw Aiden Perenolde sitting on the throne, dressed in splendid attire, wearing a crown, holding a scepter, his hands trembling slightly, clearly flustered and terrified.
Seeing Kael'thas and Daelin approaching, he suddenly stood up, pointed at Daelin, and shouted: "Daelin Proudmoore, what do you want? This is the territory of the Kingdom of Alterac! How dare you bring people into my land!"
"I should be asking you, what do you want?"
Daelin strode to King Aiden, stopped ten paces away, and said coldly: "You betrayed the Alliance and sided with the Horde; you should have known this day would come!"
King Aiden shouted: "What have I done wrong? I just wanted to protect my country, my people, to protect them from the Horde's aggression!"
He looked frantic: "What was the situation then? Stormwind Kingdom had fallen, the Horde army besieged Ironforge and Gnomeregan, almost occupying the entire continent of Azeroth and Khaz Modan, and had taken Southshore! If I didn't surrender, the Kingdom of Alterac would be the next to fall!"
Daelin snorted and said: "Alterac was not fighting alone; behind you was the entire Alliance."
"The Alliance? The Alliance is a joke!"
King Aiden's face was full of mockery, sneering: "Dalaran immediately activated its magic barrier, only seeking self-preservation! Although Antonidas was active, his authority was limited, and most of Dalaran's mages didn't listen to him!"
"Genn is a coward; he actually wanted to build a high wall north of Gilneas, abandoning all the land and civilians of Silverpine Forest, handing them over to the Horde. What kind of person is he!"
"I admit Thoras is a tough guy; he immediately sent troops, and the Stromgarde people fought bravely, but what was the use? In less than a month, they were crippled by the Horde, Tol Barad was occupied by the Horde, and almost all of Arathi Highlands fell, leaving only one city, one wall, and one bridge!"
"I admire Anduin Lothar, and I admit Prince Varian is extraordinary, much stronger than the heirs of our several nations, but Stormwind Kingdom has already fallen, with so few people left, what's the use?"
"Terenas had ill intentions; Lordaeron's military strength was the sum of our six nations. If he had immediately deployed troops to Hillsbrad Foothills and Arathi Highlands for support, the Horde would not have been able to break through! He didn't do that, wasn't it to take the opportunity to weaken the six nations, consolidate Lordaeron's rule, and his position in the Alliance?"
"You, Daelin Proudmoore, you and your fleet are the Alliance's staunchest supporters, but if Quel'Thalas hadn't joined the war, could you have defeated the Horde Fleet? You couldn't have, you couldn't even get close to Southshore!"
King Aiden shouted: "The Alliance is nothing! After the Horde army landed in Hillsbrad Foothills, their first target was Alterac! Besides the few people Thoras sent, we had no other support, what could we do? If we hadn't surrendered, Alterac would already be annihilated!"
Daelin was unmoved and said coldly: "The Alliance was holding a meeting to discuss sending troops; if you had held out for a month, you would have received reinforcements."
"A month? We couldn't hold out for a month; the Horde had Goblin Airships and Dragon Riders!"
"Reinforcements? If the High Elves hadn't joined the war, Lordaeron would have fallen by now; you couldn't even protect yourselves, how could you support us?"
King Aiden suddenly turned his head, staring fiercely at Kael'thas: "And you, all of you! If the High Elves had responded to the call immediately, upholding the promise made 2800 years ago, and marched south to support us, the Horde would not have been able to break through, and we would not have surrendered! It's all your fault, all your fault!"
Kael'thas said faintly: "Humans themselves are not united, yet they demand the High Elves send troops to support them? Aiden, your idea is too absurd."
"Heh heh, you're right!"
"Humans are disunited internally; they abandoned Alterac, so don't blame us for abandoning them!"
Aiden gritted his teeth: "The Alliance betrayed us first; what's wrong with us betraying them?"
Daelin looked at him, a hint of pity in his cold eyes: "Aiden, you've gone mad."
Aiden seemed to have been drained of strength, slumping onto the throne, muttering: "Yes, I'm mad, driven mad by you all…"
Kael'thas gently shook his head.
Everything Aiden said was right, but what he did was wrong.
Politics is not a game, and international relations are not trivial matters. It's normal for nations to bicker over their own interests and sacrifice the interests of others.
But the Kingdom of Alterac's approach was wrong.
Aiden could have used diplomatic means to seek help from other countries, and if necessary, he could have threatened to withdraw from the Alliance.
Politics is about compromise; as long as Aiden was firm enough, other nations would not have dared to truly abandon him.
Even truly withdrawing from the Alliance would have been acceptable, completely closing off the country and dedicating all military forces to defense, making the Kingdom of Alterac a tough nut to crack.
In that case, the Horde would definitely not have tried to crack it; the cost would have been too great, not worth the effort.
Even a step further, the Kingdom of Alterac could have maneuvered between the Alliance and the Horde; walking a tightrope is always better than completely siding with the Horde.
Because if the Alliance won, they would certainly settle accounts.
If the Horde won, they would never allow the Kingdom of Alterac to continue to exist.
Ogrim is not Terenas; he is not a cunning and deceitful political animal who would build internment camps for his own benefit. He would never leave hidden dangers, only exterminate humanity!
"Let's blockade the royal palace; you and I will each send five hundred soldiers to guard it," Daelin said.
Kael'thas nodded: "Next, it's time to deal with the remaining Alterac army and those nobles."
Daelin said: "You and I will split into two groups; I'll lead people to pursue east, and you lead people to pursue south. After eliminating the enemy, we'll rendezvous here again."
Kael'thas nodded, "Okay."
He commanded, "Sylvanas, leave five hundred men to guard the palace. The rest of you sweep through the southern Alterac army and, in conjunction with General Danath, blockade the southern entrance of Alterac Valley. No one is allowed to enter or exit."
"Yes, Your Highness," Sylvanas immediately complied.
She personally led her forces south, leaving Lanathel and Liadrin behind, instructing them to protect His Royal Highness the Prince in case of assassination.
Over the next few days, the entire Kingdom of Alterac was completely sealed off. All the nobles on the mountain were brought under control, and their properties were thoroughly plundered.
All the wealth from the palace was also divided into four parts. Kael'thas and Daelin took the lion's share, while Kurdran and Danath took the smaller portions. Everyone got a piece of the pie and made a fortune.
Although the Kingdom of Alterac was not as wealthy as other kingdoms, the royal family and so many nobles combined still represented a large fortune, enough to cover the army's deployment costs with plenty left over.
At the highest point of the Kingdom of Alterac, the four looked at each other and smiled, then gazed northwest, in the direction of Lordaeron.
The Horde had already occupied the island in the lake and established a joint camp there.
They could draw water locally, and the island was a certain distance from Lordaeron Royal City, beyond the casting range of legendary mages, so they didn't worry about being attacked by fire.
The orcs cut down trees, using local materials to build siege engines, which were continuously transported to the north bank.
Dense Horde soldiers worked in four shifts, attacking the city day and night without pause. The sound of artillery, shouts, and curses rose and fell, continuously.
Hundreds of Dragon Riders circled in the sky, and thousands of Goblin Airships constantly dropped explosives and bombs, using technology against magic.
The runic magic barrier transported from Silvermoon City, supplied by a continuous flow of magic, endured artillery fire day and night, and was constantly impacted. The barrier, like a thin film, was powerfully broken through again and again, only to be repaired by magic each time.
This was a war of attrition.
Lordaeron had magic supplies and mages continuously transported from the Alliance kingdoms. The mages didn't need high magical attainments or strong casting abilities; they served as 'power banks.'
The Horde also had simple explosives produced by goblins working overtime, completely disregarding quality. Ogrim's only requirement was: a large quantity to satisfy.
It was a test of who would break first!
"The Alliance will definitely be the first to break."
Daelin said, "The Horde needs common materials like wood, stone, leather, and cloth to build siege engines. The Alliance needs expensive and rare magic materials to maintain the magic barrier. The difficulty of acquiring these two types of resources is not on the same level."
Kael'thas said, "The Red Dragon Queen has not been rescued yet. The time for a decisive battle has not come, and Lordaeron's magic barrier must continue to be maintained."
Daelin frowned, "The magic material reserves of the Human Kingdoms are almost depleted. What's the situation with Krasus? When do you plan to rescue the Red Dragon Queen?"
In fact, the situation was looking good now.
Although the Horde had been continuously reinforcing Lordamere Lake during this period, with a total force exceeding two hundred thousand, the Alliance was doing the same.
Lordaeron, Silverpine Forest, Dalaran, Southshore, plus the current Kingdom of Alterac, the Alliance's total forces were also around two hundred thousand, and they were better equipped, had more spellcasters, and held a geographical advantage.
If it came to a decisive battle, there was a high probability of victory.
The problem was that even if they won, the allied forces would suffer heavy losses, which no kingdom wanted to see.
That's why the leaders of the kingdoms agreed to Kael'thas's plan, striving for the Wildhammer Dwarves and the Red Dragonflight to join them.
However, the Wildhammer Dwarves still had to fight the Forest Trolls in the Hinterlands and only sent three hundred Gryphon Riders, which was not enough to completely change the balance of power between the enemy and allied sides.
The Red Dragonflight was truly capable of playing a decisive role.
Kael'thas said, "How would I know? I haven't contacted him in a long time. If he doesn't come, the Red Dragon Queen cannot be rescued."
Daelin sighed, "Then what do you plan to do? Provide magic supplies to Lordaeron?"
Kael'thas shook his head, "After the battle of Silvermoon City, Quel'Thalas's magic supplies were severely depleted, so we can't provide any."
Daelin scoffed, who would believe that?
Quel'Thalas was a more powerful magical kingdom than Dalaran, and its magic material reserves must far exceed Dalaran's, perhaps even more than all Seven Human Kingdoms combined.
How much could be consumed in the battle of Silvermoon City, which lasted less than half a day, no matter how intense?
If you don't want to provide, then don't provide. Can't you come up with a more plausible reason? That's too perfunctory.
"Increasing supply is impossible, but we can reduce consumption. As long as we lower the intensity of the Horde's offensive, we can reduce the magic barrier's consumption and hold out for a longer time," Kael'thas said.
Daelin understood his meaning and looked at the Lordaeron battlefield. "The Horde's attack is divided into ground and air. The ground forces are protected by the main Horde army, so getting close would be very dangerous. You want to deal with the Goblin Airships and Dragon Riders in the sky?"
"Without air power, the intensity of the Horde's offensive will be reduced by at least half."
Kael'thas looked at Kurdran, "Highlord, you lead three hundred riders to attack the Dragon Riders, and I'll lead three hundred riders to attack the Goblin Airships. Let's see who kills more?"
Kurdran laughed heartily, "Your Highness, you're bound to lose! Wildhammer Dwarves are invincible in the sky!"
Daelin frowned, "You only have six hundred riders. The Horde's Dragon Riders number over five hundred, and there are thousands of Goblin Airships. They've been refitted after the battle of Silvermoon City, adding cannons and nail guns. You..."
His meaning was clear: You can't win!
"We certainly can't win a head-on fight, but we are attacking by surprise. And don't forget, we still have the magic barrier and thousands of Lordaeron mages," Kael'thas said with confidence.
Kurdran couldn't wait. "Your Highness, let's go!"
"Good."
Six hundred riders took off from the peak of Alterac, forming a formation like two sharp arrows, shooting towards Lordaeron airspace.
Kael'thas directly summoned a phoenix and arrived first, destroying a Goblin Airship with a single Fireball. This scene deeply stimulated Kurdran.
In an aerial battle, it was the first time he had been robbed of the first kill by someone else. For him, this was an unacceptable humiliation that could only be washed away with the blood of more enemies.
"Wildhammer, attack!"
Kurdran blew his war horn and fiercely slapped his Gryphon's rump.
Skarray was quite intelligent and understood his master's feelings, also sensing the humiliation. He flapped his wings faster, quickly flying above a Dragon Rider and directly clawing the opponent's head.
Three hundred Dragonhawk Riders followed closely behind.
A battlefield is not a duel, nor a stage for heroism, unless one is strong enough.
Kurdran didn't consider himself strong enough; moreover, he was not just a Gryphon Rider but also a commander, a leader.
His most important duty was not to engage in one-on-one combat but to command the attack.
"Whoo, whoo, whoo~~"
He blew his war horn again, urgently and loudly. Different rhythms represented different commands.
The Gryphon Riders immediately split into several small teams, either three or five per group, cooperating to throw Stormhammers. In an instant, they took down over thirty Dragon Riders.
"Dragonhawk Riders, Gryphon Riders, it's the High Elves and Wildhammer Dwarves!"
On the island in the lake, the Horde Warchief Ogrim's face was grim as he roared, "Attack! Counterattack!"
Battle reports from the Hinterlands, Stromgarde, Thoradin's Wall, Durnholde Keep, Tarren Mill, and even the Kingdom of Alterac had already arrived through special channels. Kael'thas's actions were completely unexpected and too swift; there was no time to redeploy.
With the rear continuously falling, the Horde's already precarious situation became even more dire, caught between a rock and a hard place.
Attacking Lordaeron was like biting into an incredibly hard bone; the magical barrier constructed by Silvermoon City's runestones was impenetrable.
Retreating, but where could they retreat to?
Southshore was occupied by Alliance forces, the seas were blockaded by the Kul Tiras fleet, and Menethil Harbor was constantly under attack. The shipyards were bombed as soon as they were repaired, making it impossible to build new warships.
Thoradin's Wall had always been controlled by Stromgarde forces. That thing had stood for 2800 years and had never been breached. He had tried many times, but could not break through it.
Attacking the Kingdom of Alterac? Don't even think about it!
The large pocket woven by the Alliance had only the Silverpine Forest to the west as its weakest point.
However, all civilians there had already evacuated, and at least fifty thousand High Elf and human troops were entrenched, engaging them in guerrilla warfare!
He repeatedly sent Goblin Airships and Dragon Riders to set the forest on fire, but they were extinguished by blizzards summoned by the mages of Dalaran. Occasionally, they would even be attacked by Dragonhawk Riders, making it impossible to break through.
What could he do?
His retreat path was cut off; the only way was to attack, attack, and attack again!
"Yes, Warchief!"
Zuluhed, the chieftain of the Dragonmaw Clan standing nearby, immediately blew his war horn, the sound rough and powerful.
After a brief moment of panic, the Goblin Airships and Dragon Riders gathered together and launched a counterattack against the Dragonhawk Riders and Gryphon Riders, taking down several with their numerical advantage, which infuriated Kurdran.
"Highlord, follow me!"
A familiar voice sounded, and a ball of fire flew past him, heading towards the magic barrier below, followed by the Dragonhawk Rider group.
Kurdran did not hesitate and immediately blew his war horn.
Just as they were about to hit the magic barrier, Kael'thas suddenly wielded Flame Strike, and the magic barrier immediately tore open a gap, which grew larger and larger.
Kael'thas and the Dragonhawk Rider group flew in!
"Didn't they say it could withstand legendary-level attacks? Kael'thas can actually break through it?"
"That's right, that thing originally belonged to him, it would be strange if there wasn't a back door!"
"Does Terenas know about this?"
Kurdran muttered to himself and led the Gryphon Riders in.
"Good opportunity!"
Seeing the magic barrier growing larger, the Dragon Riders following behind all had their eyes light up.
The opportunity was fleeting; they immediately shouted and flew in, with over a hundred entering.
Just then, Kael'thas's cold voice rang out: "Contract!"
The High Elf mages in charge of operating the runestones immediately obeyed, channeling their mana into each rune in a specific sequence.
The originally hemispherical magic barrier immediately contracted, becoming flatter and flatter, continuously compressing the available flying space.
And the crack Kael'thas had made quickly mended during the contraction, blocking more Dragon Riders outside.
"We... are trapped?"
Inside the magic barrier, a hundred Dragon Riders instantly panicked.
"Haha, I didn't expect you, Kael'thas, to have this trick!"
"Wildhammer, attack!"
Kurdran laughed loudly and led the Gryphon Riders to charge.
The Dragonhawk Rider group immediately followed.
Six hundred against one hundred, the advantage was too great. Furthermore, after the barrier contracted, the Dragon Riders had entered the attack range of the archers and mages. The hunters and mages, who had been idle for half a month, immediately took action, eliminating all one hundred Dragon Riders in less than ten minutes.
"Highlord, follow!"
Kael'thas flew to another spot, opened a gap in the barrier, and led the Dragonhawk Rider group and Gryphon Riders out.
The Goblin Airships and Dragon Riders, who had not expected this turn of events, were once again attacked.
But by the time they counterattacked, the Dragonhawk Rider group and Gryphon Riders had already flown back into the barrier.
This time they learned their lesson and didn't dare to pursue, only watching helplessly as the enemies rested on the city walls and rooftops.
Meanwhile, they could only circle high in the sky, unable to attack or retreat.
On the island in the lake, Zuluhed watched as Dragon Riders fell from the sky, feeling immense heartache, and quickly called out, "Warchief, tell them to come back quickly! If they don't, our air force will be completely annihilated!"
Ogrim gripped Doomhammer tightly, his eyes fixed on the phoenix soaring in the sky, gritting his teeth: "Kael'thas, it's Kael'thas again, every single time it's Kael'thas!"
From Zul'Aman to the Baradin Bay, from Silvermoon City to the Hinterlands, from Stromgarde to Lordaeron, every one of his deployments had been thwarted by Kael'thas.
The fact that the Horde hadn't defeated the Alliance yet was ninety percent due to Kael'thas!
"Retreat!" A single word was squeezed from his lips.
"Yes, Warchief!"
Zuluhed was overjoyed and immediately blew the horn for retreat.
The Dragon Riders returned, and after counting, they had lost a full thirty percent.
"Thirty percent, a full thirty percent!"
"Dragon Riders are already few, and now there are even fewer!"
"The Red Dragon Queen's eggs have just hatched, and they are only hatchlings, too small to ride."
"The other Red Dragons have all hidden, impossible to catch!"
"Are we going to return to Draenor to catch two-headed wyverns?"
Zuluhed's face was grim.
Ogrim's face beside him was even more unsightly.
This time, not only were many Dragon Riders lost, but a large number of Goblin Airships were also lost, with the air force suffering a loss of as much as forty percent.
Meanwhile, the Alliance only lost a dozen Dragonhawk Riders and Gryphon Riders, which was almost negligible.
The Horde's aerial advantage was instantly gone, and attacking Lordaeron from the sky became impossible.
Because any attack would be met with a home-field counterattack from the Alliance air force!
"Warchief, what do we do now?" Zuluhed asked.
Having lost their aerial advantage, breaking through the magic barrier would now take at least three times longer than before.
The Horde couldn't afford it!
The balance of power between the enemy and them had now fundamentally shifted.
As time passed, the Alliance's advantage would only become more apparent.
Ogrim's eyes flashed, and he said in a deep voice, "Notify Nekros, tell him to send all the Red Dragons, including those three adult Red Dragons, and even the Red Dragon Queen!"
Zuluhed was greatly surprised: "Warchief, that's impossible. The Red Dragon Queen has been resisting; she will never obey!"
Ogrim snorted, "Then find a way to make her obey!"
Zuluhed was helpless, so he called a Dragon Rider and sent him to Grim Batol to deliver the order.
The Dragon Rider flew to Grim Batol, delivering Ogrim's orders.
"What? The Warchief wants me to send all the Dragon Riders, including the Red Dragon Queen? No, absolutely not!"
Nekros shook his head like a rattle: "It's not that I'm unwilling, but it's too dangerous. What if the Alliance attacks? It's safest to stay here!"
He could suppress the Red Dragon Queen with the demon soul, but it was only suppression, not control.
The Red Dragon Queen was very unyielding, preferring death over surrender.
The reason he could force the Red Dragon Queen to constantly mate and lay eggs in humiliation before him was by threatening her with other Red Dragons and dragon eggs.
After he publicly smashed several dragon eggs, the Red Dragon Queen had no choice but to obey him.
But to send the Red Dragon Queen to Lordaeron to fight? Don't even think about it; she had her limits.
Moreover, once she left Grim Batol, losing the protection of the castle, the Shadow Curse, and a large number of orcs, she would be vulnerable to Alliance ambushes.
Just imagine, if a few hundred Dragonhawk Riders and Gryphon Riders ambushed her mid-route, one wave of attacks could instantly kill her.
"The Warchief understands nothing. An amateur guiding a professional, just by moving his lips, he expects me to obey? Impossible!"
Nekros said, "You go back and tell the Warchief that the Red Dragon Queen and I will never leave Grim Batol, never!"
The Dragon Rider pleaded, "My Lord, the situation in Lordaeron is critical right now. If you don't provide full support, the main forces are likely to be defeated, and then everything will be over. This is the Warchief's order!"
Nekros snorted, "Defeated then defeated, what does that have to do with me? As long as our Dragonmaw Clan holds Grim Batol, the Alliance won't be able to break through! Let the Red Dragon Queen lay eggs every day, and in ten years, we'll have thousands of Red Dragons. Then, we can go out and completely annihilate the Alliance!"
His idea was simple: accumulate resources, build high walls, and slowly claim kingship.
Plunder resources everywhere, manage Grim Batol well, and let the Red Dragon Queen lay many eggs, awaiting the right moment!
"The Warchief is exceptionally brave, and I admire that, but his strategic vision and battlefield command abilities are too poor."
"He hasn't even broken through Ironforge or Gnomeregan, and he hasn't fully controlled the Azeroth subcontinent and the Khaz Modan subcontinent, yet he's rushing to divide his forces and head to the Lordaeron subcontinent. He's too impatient!"
"He also provoked the High Elf of the Quel'Thalas subcontinent for the sake of the Forest Trolls, stretching the front lines so long, opening up over ten battlefields. How can we fight like this?"
"And his judgment of people is also poor. He actually trusted that traitor Gul'dan, letting him take away two clans, and even sent troops to pursue him at such a critical time. He is simply not suitable to be the Warchief!"
Nekros angrily said, "What Warchief? I only listen to the clan leader!"
All the Dragon Riders were from the Dragonmaw Clan and were his kinsmen. The one in front of him was especially loyal, so he wasn't worried that these remarks would reach Ogrim's ears.
"But, this is also the clan leader's order," the Dragon Rider said.
"...The clan leader is confused!" Nekros said with deep pain.
The Dragon Rider lowered his head, not daring to speak. The second-in-command of the clan was scolding the first-in-command, and he pretended not to hear.
In fact, he knew why the clan leader gave the order: because if he hadn't, Ogrim would have killed the clan leader on the spot.
Nekros thought for a moment and said, "The demon soul and the Red Dragon Queen must not leave Grim Batol. They are our last trump card. As long as they are here, even if we are defeated, we can still turn things around in the future!"
"Here's what we'll do: you take all the remaining Dragon Riders, including two adult Red Dragons. That should be enough to satisfy the Warchief."
The Dragon Rider asked, "Two? Not three?"
Apart from the Red Dragon Queen, there were three adult Red Dragons in Grim Batol, all males.
The reason they hadn't been sent to battle was because they were constantly mating with the Red Dragon Queen day and night.
Each mating and ejaculation was a huge drain on the male dragons, and no one could sustain it daily, so they had to rotate among the three dragons.
Nekros said, "One must be left to mate with the Red Dragon Queen. If they all go to battle, what if they all die?"
Mating also required a balance of power.
Hatchlings and whelps were not the right size and couldn't mate with the Red Dragon Queen.
Forced mating would also fail to impregnate the Queen due to insufficient quality.
Even if she did conceive, the dragon eggs produced would be of poor quality and underdeveloped.
No matter how critical the situation, quality still had to be guaranteed.
As a professional dragon tamer, he had professional ethics.
The Dragon Rider asked again, "Which one should be left?"
"The oldest one!" Nekros decided.
The oldest one was several hundred years older than the Red Dragon Queen.
He was already close to dying of old age, and after months of mating with the Queen, he was skin and bones, far weaker than the younger dragons. If he were sent to battle, he would surely die.
"Reduce the mating frequency too, once every five days, to prevent him from being drained dry by the Red Dragon Queen," Nekros thought.
...
"Haha, the Wildhammer Dwarves took down eighty-eight Dragon Riders!"
"I personally took down nine, nine!"
Kurdran flew to Kael'thas's side and boasted, "Kael'thas, you lost. The Wildhammer Dwarves are the bane of dragons!"
"Indeed, dwarves are indeed the bane of dragons."
Kael'thas thought of a certain Blue Dragon shot down by dwarven riflemen and deeply agreed.
"Your Highness, His Majesty Terenas requests your presence at a meeting. All the national leaders have arrived."
A Paladin walked over, bowed respectfully, and then looked at Kurdran: "And you, noble Wildhammer clan leader, Highlord of the Hinterlands."
Kael'thas saw that this person was wearing the standard armor of the Silver Hand Knights, had proper manners, an impressive demeanor, and a strong aura of Holy Light. His heart stirred: "Paladin, what is your name?"
"Your Highness, I am Uther."
"So it is the most favored student of His Eminence High Archbishop Alonsus Faol, the commander of the Silver Hand Knights."
Kael'thas was slightly moved, looking deeply at Uther. The plan he had long conceived finally had a chosen candidate.
Uther was a nearly perfect person; his conduct, personal ability, and moral standards were all irreproachable.
Only such a person could gain the approval of that group of people and be worthy of the Paladin artifact that had been quietly waiting for tens of thousands of years.
"Uther? I remember you were a high-ranking priest, and only underwent training to become a Paladin a few months ago," Liadrin asked curiously.
She, Lanathel, and Vereesa had all come, following Kael'thas, temporarily acting as members of the Dragonhawk Riders.
Uther looked at Liadrin, his gaze pure and sincere: "Yes, Lady Liadrin."
Liadrin asked, "Then can I also become a Paladin? Like you, I am also a high-ranking priest."
During her time following Kael'thas, she witnessed His Royal Highness display his might, saw the Windrunner sisters' divine archery, and watched Lanathel use her sword and shield to stand before His Royal Highness, and even herself.
But she was very dissatisfied and disappointed with her own performance.
She was a priest, a holy priest who believed in the Holy Light.
She should have been hiding in the back, under the protection of others, using the Holy Light to heal wounds and soothe spirits.
But she didn't want to!
She also wanted to go to the front lines to kill enemies, to break free from others' protection, and in turn, protect others.
But she was just a holy priest who had not received any combat training and lacked the necessary means.
The emergence of the Paladins gave her hope.